FDA to hold discussion on safety of stem cell testing

WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration has scheduled a special public session on April 10 to discuss the safety concerns of testing embryonic stem cells in humans, according to Bloomberg.

In that regard, Geron and Advanced Cell Technology have plans this year to begin the first human test of therapies created with stem cells extracted from human embryos. They agency is asking the companies to monitor whether the therapies can cause non-cancerous growths, as has been seen in animal tests.

GE introduces ChipCap humidity and temperature gauge

BILLERICA, Mass. GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies has announced a new product; proven to lower the cost of humidity and temperature sensor integration by 50 percent or more, according to published reports.

The product is known as ChipCap, a sensor for relative humidity and temperature used for the HVAC, automotive, medical and appliance industries. It is the only device that offers digital and analog configurations on a single chip. According to published reports, it is also highly resistant to contaminants and is programmed to fully recover in condensing environments.

Bryan Conner, Global Product Manager of Gas and Moisture for GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies, says, “ChipCap offers a full factory calibrated solution. It doesn’t require further signal conditioning, therefore reducing the overall design time in integration and time to market for new products. By eliminating the need for calibration, end users increase throughput and lower cycle time once in production.” The new product is sad to save an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 in capital equipment costs and calibration labor, according to published reports.

Oxycontin removed from Walgreens Tampa Bay locations

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. As a response to recent pharmacy robberies in the Tampa Bay area, Walgreens has decided to remove the drug Oxycontin from some of its Tampa Bay stores, according to published reports.

Oxycontin, which is supposed to be used in treatment for severe pain or injuries, as well as cancer, has been identified as a street drug with names like OC, Ox, Kicker or Oxy. The most recent robbery occurred on March 27, according to published reports, during which a man pulled out a gun to obtain Oxycontin.

Carol Hively, a spokesperson from Walgreens, released the following statement in response to the news of the removal of Oxycontin:

“Walgreens is in the process of removing OxyContin from some of its stores in the Tampa area. This is a temporary measure we’re taking for the safety of our customers and employees, in response to local robberies. Signs are posted in our stores informing pharmacy patients of the change.”

RELATED NEWS

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic of Hoffman-La Roche’s Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) capsules from Lupin. The company’s generic will be available in 30-, 45- and 75-mg dosage strengths.
The product is inficated to treat acute, uncomplicated influenza A and B in patients 2 weeks of age and older, as well as to prevent influenza A and B in patients 1 year old and older. The drug had U.S. sales of roughly $467.8 million for the 12 months ended October 2017, according to IQVIA data.

Behavioral health pharmacy and telepsychiatry company Genoa, a QoL Healthcare Company, has reached a big number with its remote psychiatry offering. The Tukwila, Wash.-based company announced Tuesday that it had facilitated more than 100,000 telepsych consultations on its video conferencing platform.
Genoa attributes the milestone to its recent buildup of its telepsychiatry operations, which grew to include 35 in 2017 from 20 at the start of the year, and included 250 providers. In 2017, the company grew to serve more than 2,500 patients per week.

This year's flu continues to be Texas big, according to the Walgreens Flu Index released Wednesday, as the top 10 communities experiencing the greatest amount of flu incidence were all located in the Lone Star State for the week ended Jan. 6.
Iowa, Idaho and Arkansas rank behind Texas in terms of flu activity. And Montana, Idaho and Iowa ranked highest among states experiencing flu activity gains.

Amneal Biosciences has launched its generic of Otsuka’s Busulfex (busulfan injection, 6 mg/ml). The product is indicated to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Amneal said that its generic is available in cartons of eight single-dose vials, each of which contains 60 mg of the drug in a 10-ml clear sterile solution. The product is made without natural rubber, latex, gluten or preservatives, Amneal said.
The drug had U.S. sales of roughly $80 million for the 12 months ended October 2017, according to data from IQVIA.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals has launched sevelamer carbonate tablets, 800 mg, in 270-count bottles. This generic from the Bridgewater, N.J.-based company is an AB-rated therapeutic equivalent to Renvela.
Amneal also launched five other products in addition to sevelamer carbonate:

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